1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device.
Note that in this specification, a semiconductor device refers to any device that can function by utilizing semiconductor characteristics, and an electro-optical device, a semiconductor circuit, and an electronic device are all semiconductor devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technique by which transistors are formed using semiconductor thin films formed over a substrate having an insulating surface has been attracting attention. Such transistors are applied to a wide range of electronic devices such as an integrated circuit (IC) or an image display device (display device). As materials for semiconductor thin films applicable to the transistors, silicon-based semiconductor materials have been widely used, but oxide semiconductors have been attracting attention as alternative materials.
For example, a transistor whose active layer is formed using an amorphous oxide including indium (In), gallium (Ga), and zinc (Zn) and having an electron carrier density lower than 1018/cm3 is disclosed (see Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 2 discloses a technique in which in a staggered transistor including an oxide semiconductor, a highly conductive oxide semiconductor including nitrogen is provided as buffer layers between a source region and a source electrode and between a drain region and a drain electrode, and thereby the contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor and the source electrode and between the oxide semiconductor and the drain electrode is reduced.
Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a top-gate oxide semiconductor transistor in which a channel region, a source region, and a drain region are formed in a self-aligned process.